Airport Workers Across the U.S. Go on Strike

Airport contract workers on strike (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Just days before one of the busiest travel days of the year, contract airport workers from cabin cleaning crew to baggage handlers at hubs across the country have gone on strike to demand $15 an hour minimum pay.

Picket lines popped up at airports across the U.S., including: John F. Kennedy International and La Guardia airports in New York, Newark Liberty International in New Jersey, Logan International in Boston, Chicago’s O’Hare International, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. About 2,000 workers are believed to be involved in the strikes, according to NBCnews.com.

Not only are the workers protesting for an increase in minimum pay from the current $10.10 an hour, but also health insurance and an end to alleged harassment against contract workers who want to unionize. At JFK, strikers carried signs with messages like: “on strike over unfair labor practices.”

The workers who are protesting are contractors hired by outside companies to provide services for airlines like JetBlue, Delta, and United.

According to spokespeople for the various airlines, the protests have not affected normal operations.

“We are ensuring our vendors have contingency plans in place to continue to serve our customers,” a United spokesperson told CNN Money.

According to a JetBlue spokesperson: "We are working with our business partners to ensure staffing is in place so that operations are not disrupted.”

Delta “will rely on its employees and partners to ensure normal operations,” said its spokesperson.